Picking Up the Pieces
by gabrielsgirl
Summary: Sequel to Truth in Pieces.
1. Default Chapter

Chapter 1

  
  


"You may kiss the bride."

Darvi, Dakota, and Sara smiled warmly as Gabriel leaned in to kiss Renee while Ian, Jason McBride, and a young Irishman grinned at each other. The six friends applauded when they pulled apart.

It not being a traditional wedding: no guests, no dresses or tuxedos, no music, just the bride and groom, bridesmaids and groomsmen, and the pastor, they didn't walk back up the aisle. Instead they just turned to their friends to accept their congratulations. It was the first time in the last four months that Renee had felt good. Sara had finally talked her into seeing the psychologist the precinct employed. She was helping Renee move past the emotional after effects of her rape.

Renee had moved back into Gabriel's house a month before, but was staying in the extra bedroom. She wasn't ready yet to sleep in the same bed as him again. Since she moved back, they had been trying to get his niece and nephew returned to him. A judge would be making a decision on their case within the next week.

The young Irishman walked over to Sara and put his hands in hers. The cuts and bruises were nearly gone from his face after his last fight at an underground fight club that almost cost him his life. Sara found him when he was trying to leave, barely coherent with a concussion and a couple of broken ribs, and rushed him to the hospital. The doctor told her that if she'd been any later, he would have died. They had dinner after he was released from the hospital and soon after that, started seeing each other. Sara was being cautious though. Relationships had never worked out for her before.

Dakota walked up to Renee and said, "And you always told me you were never getting married."

Renee smiled at her then felt Gabriel's arms encircle her. She tightened up, still uncomfortable with being touched, but didn't pull away. He let go as Jason slapped him on the back. "Congratulations."

The eight of them seperated into two cars and drove to a restaurant for dinner. When they finished eating, Sara took Renee and Gabriel back to his house. Renee stalled going to bed, not wanting to spend her wedding night alone but not ready to sleep with him. Gabriel sensed her internal conflict and said, "Why don't we just stay down here on the couch? We don't have to go to bed yet."

They sat beside each other without touching, although there was nothing else he wanted to do more at the moment. Even though she fought it, sleep soon overcame her. Gabriel found a blanket and covered her up with it. Then, he found another one and went to sleep on the floor beside the couch.

*******

The judge looked up at Renee and Gabriel. "Mr. Bowman, you showed yourself irresponsible once. But after looking over the circumstances, I can't say that I blame you. And everyone deserves a second chance. You haven't gone back to that in the past four months even after what happened to your wife. I applaud you for that. I also saw the kids before and when they saw you. Before they did, they were both withdrawn. Mr. Sigel and Mrs. McBrae," he nodded at the man and woman from the adoption agency. "can attest to the fact they've been like that since they were taken from you. When they saw you, however, that changed. I took everything, especially the children's emotional welfare, into consideration when making my decision."

Renee and Gabriel held their breath, waiting to hear what he had decided. He reached over and grabbed her hand, squeezing it reassuringly.

"It is my decision that custody of Meghan and Kevin Logan be granted to Renee and Gabriel Bowman."

Their sighs of relief escaped as one. Meghan and Kevin ran over to them, and the two adults took the two kids in their arms. Tears of joy came to Gabriel's eyes and ran freely down Renee's face. A man walked over with some papers for Gabriel to sign, giving him legal custody of his niece and nephew. After signing the papers, Gabriel lifted Meghan to his shoulders. Kevin skipped ahead of them as they left the courthouse.

*******

"Renee, what do you want to talk about today?" Dr. Slonaker asked as the young woman lowered herself into a chair.

Renee shrugged, not sure of that herself.

"You've finally realized this wasn't your fault. That was a large step. But something's still holding you back from Gabriel, isn't it?"

She nodded her head but seemed reluctant to say what it was. The psychologist prodded gently, "Renee, you need to talk to me about it. You'll never heal if you keep it all buried inside."

Renee took a deep breath, then let it out slowly. "He says he'll love me and the baby even if it's not his, but I'm scared of how he'll really feel if it isn't. I don't want to lose him, but I don't want him to stick around out of his sense of duty." Her eyes were moist, but she was holding the tears back.

"What makes you think he won't still love you?"

"Men don't stick around. They just leave when they get sick of you." The tears flooded from her eyes.

Dr. Slonaker grabbed a box of tissues from her desk and handed them to Renee. This had become routine during their sessions, especially when the conversation turned to her father. "So you're afraid he's going to leave you."

Renee nodded her head.

"Have you ever been abandoned, Renee?"

"My dad left. It was a mutual agreement between him and my mom, but I still saw him every other weekend. Pushing me away wasn't part of the agreement though. I always felt he didn't care. That I wasn't important to him. That he was always just playing games with my head."

"And you're afraid Gabriel will do the same."

"Yeah." The tears had stopped, and she was fighting to keep them behind the dam. "I know it's unreasonable. He hadn't given me any reason to doubt him. He's been nothing but supportive through everything. So why do I?"

"Renee, it's perfectly normal for victims like you to feel this way. You were violated, and all of your trust issues came back to the surface. How long until you'll know if the baby is his or not?"

"Two months."

"He's stayed beside you for seven months. Give him the benefit of the doubt. From all you've said, he seems to trutly love you and won't just stay out of his sense of duty. It will be because he loves you."

Renee glanced at the clock. "Our time's up, isn't it?"

"Actually, it has been for about ten minutes, but I didn't want to cut you off." As Renee pushed herself out of the chair, the older woman asked, "Do you have a ride home?"

"Gabriel should be out there waiting."

"I'll see you next week then."

Gabriel was standing by the front passenger's-side door, waiting for her. He opened the door and helped her inside. Walking around to the other side, he climbed in and started the car. Renee did a lot of thinking on the way back to the house. Finally, she spoke up. "Gabriel, what are you going to do when the baby's born?"

"What do you mean?" He asked, glancing at her.

Kevin and Meghan were in the backseat, but weren't paying any attention to the adults. They were playing quietly.

"I know you said you would stay, but I don't want you to do that out of duty."

It took him a moment to form words. "It won't be out of suty, Renee. I love you, and do not want to even think of living without you. And I refuse to believe this baby isn't mine until she's born. And then I still won't."

Relief flooded her heart. She could hear the sincerety in his voice. Then his last words struck her. "She? Did you see the ultrasound?"

He tried to look innocent, but she could see right through his act. When she cleared her throat, Gabriel admitted, "I couldn't stand it anymore. I had to know."

Renee didn't say anything, just smiling at him. She couldn't really blame him. She'd been curious as well, but wanted to wait to know.

They pulled into the driveway. The kids jumped out of the car and raced up to the house. "Be careful," Gabriel called after them. He had taken to the parental role quite naturally. He walked around the car and helped Renee out and up to the house.

*******

"The baby seems to be doing fine," Dr. Granur told Renee and Gabriel. "Looking at the ultrasound, she's deeloping normally. Although she does appear to be a bit small for you being in the last month of the third trimester, but some are smaller than others. I do want you to stay off of your feet as much as possible for the next month, Renee. Even if that means staying away from the computer, and Gabriel bringing you all of your meals. I want you under as little stress as possible until this baby is born. Do you understand?" She nodded her head, but the doctor knew how stubborn she could be. "Gabriel make sure she does."

"I will. Don't worry."

On the way home, Gabriel told her, "I finished painting the baby's room last night."

"Did you get the furniture moved in there yet?" They had bought a crib, rocking chair, and dresser, which they had put in the garage until the room was ready.

"Not yet. Ian, Jason, and Conchobar are coming over this afternoon to help with that."

When they arrived back at the house, Gabriel helped her over to the couch. "I don't want you going up and down those steps all day," he informed her. "So I think it's best if you stay down here."

"But I can't sleep on the couch," she protested.

"Then, I'll help you upstairs at night and back down in the morning. I'll get anything you need. Just stay off your feet."

"Yes, sit," she said with a mock salute. After a few minutes, she asked, "Could you get my notebook and pen for me. They're by the computer."

After Gabriel handed her the requested items, he said, "I'm gonna go down to the shop. I'll be back up in five minutes." He walked down the stairs to the basement he had converted into his shop. Going into the backroom he had created, he grabbed an old laptop and returned upstairs. when he reached Renee, he handed it to her and said, "I know it's not new, but you can still type on it."

"Thank you, Gabriel."

"It's not a problem for the woman I love."

She thanked him again then opened it and started figuring out the programs. Gabriel walked over to the other computer to work on some business transactions. Half an hour later, the door swung open, and Ian, Jason, and Conchobar walked inside. "Hey, guys," Gabriel whispered after looking at his wife and seeing that she was resting. "The stuff's out in the garage."

The walked out to the garage, and Ian grabbed the largest box. It contained the crib. Jason and Conchobar grabbed the mattress while Gabriel went to help Ian carry the crib. Once they had all of the furniture in the room, the four men set to work on putting everything together. Ian and Conchobar set up the crib while Gabriel and Jason worked on the rocking chair.

"Did you ask Dakota yet?" Gabriel asked while they were working.

A smile spread across Jason's face. "Yeah. This morning."

"She said yes."

He nodded. "We haven't set a date yet, but we're gonna wait until she finishes school"

"Smart decision."

They finished a couple of hours later; all of them stripped to the waist. It was early November, but the temperaure was high for that time of the year, and assembling furniture was hard work. Gabriel heard the door open and close, then he heard the voices of Kevin and Meghan. "Where's Uncle Gabiel?" The younger girl's voice floated up to him.

"I'm up here, Meghan," he called down the stairs as he pulled his shirt over his head.

The two kids ran up the stairs to see their uncle. "How was school?"

"Fun," Meghan exclaimed. Kevin just shrugged.

"Well, go put your bags in your rooms, and I'll make you a snack."

When they walked downstairs, the young girl asked, "Why is Aunt Renee sleeping?"

"She's tired. Your cousin's gonna be coming soon, and that's using up all her energy."

Meghan nodded her head seriously. "When's she coming."

"In about a month."

Dakota was waiting for them downstairs. "She looks really worn out, Gabe. Is she all right."

"She's fine according to the doctor. It's just really taking a toll on her. I know she can't wait for the baby to be born."

Dakota smiled at him then said, "Well, we should be getting back to the mansion. "Thanks for picking the kids up for us."

"It's not a problem." She turned to Conchobar and asked, "Do you want us to take you to Sara's or your place?"

"Sara's, if ye will."

Gabriel thanked them for their help as they left. Then, he went into the kitchen to make a snack for the kids. While they ate, he returned to the living room to check on Renee. She was sitting up on the couch. When she saw him, she asked, "Are the kids home?"

"Yeah. They're eating a snack now." He knealt in front of her and said, "You know I love you, right?"

She nodded her head. "I-I." She closed her mouth, not being able to say it. Then, she tried again. "I-I love you, too, Gabriel."

*******

A week later Gabriel was in his shop when he heard Renee yell his name from the living room. "What is it?" He called from the bottom of the stairs.

"You need to get up here. She's deciding to come early."

"Oh shit." He darted up the stairs, calling for his niece and nephew as soon as he hit the landing. "Call either Sara or Dakota and have one of them come get you. I need to get your aunt to the hospital. Your cousin decided to come early."

He helped Renee out to the car and drove as fast as he safely could to the hospital. A nurse got Renee into a room, and Gabriel waited beside her while the nurse called for the doctor. He was there in a few minutes.

Gabriel held onto her hand, stroking the back of it. He gritted his teeth everytime she squeezed it in pain. The doctor ordered a nurse to get the anesthesiologist to give her something. It didn't take away all of the pain, just the severity of it.

Almost twelve hours later, the doctor ordered her to push once more. She did, and the small form slid into his arms. The look on the doctor's face concerned Gabriel. Then, he noticed the baby wasn't crying. "What's wrong with her?"

The doctor shook his head as they cut the umbilical cord. One of the nurses brought her hand up to the baby's neck and removed the portion of the cord that had been wrapped around it. The doctor looked at Gabriel as the baby began to cry, and her purple lips returned to a normal color. "She'll be fine."

A nurse wrapped her up in a blanket and handed the tiny girl to Renee. "Your daughter."

"Amie Catherine," Renee whispered as she took her in her arms.

She stopped crying when she was cradled against her mother's body. "She has your nose," Renee said, looking up at Gabriel. "His was a lot longer."

The doctor and nurses left, giving the three of them some time alone. Amie started searching for food, and Renee helped her find it. When she had finished, Gabriel took their baby in his arms. "You need to get some sleep. Don't worry. I'll stay right here."

She nodded as her eyes closed, and she drifted into a deep sleep. Fifteen minutes later a nurse entered the room and took Amie from Gabriel's arms. "We need to check her over, then put her in the nursery." As she started to leave the room, she looked over her shoulder and said, "There are some visitors in the waiting room, but I told them she was sleeping. You might want to go out there and let them know everything's fine."

With one last glance at Renee, he left the room. Sara, Conchobar, Dakota, Jason, Kevin, and Meghan were waiting. "How is she?" Dakota asked.

He grinned at them. "She's fine, sleeping now."

"How's the baby?"

"They're making sure she's all right." Gabriel went on to tell them how she was born.

When he finished, they noticed a nurse standing nearby. "Mr. Bowman, you may take your friends to see your daughter. She's fine."

She led them down a hallway to the large window looking into the nursery. The nurse pointed her out to them then left. "She's beautiful, Gabe," Sara said, looking at the tiny baby.

"I wanna see her, Uncle Gabiel." The top of Meghan's head came to the bottom of the window. He lifted her in his arms and pointed out her cousin. "She's tiny."

"Aye, she is. But a bonny lass still," Conchobar said, smiling at Gabriel.

"I need to get back to Renee. I promised I'd stay there."

When he returned to the room, Renee was still sleeping. A few minutes later Dr. Granur entered the room. "Good, she's sleeping. She needs her rest."

"When can I take them home?"

"Well, I'd like to keep them here for a few days just to make sure they're fine. She only weighs four pounds and eleven ounces. She appears to be fine, but I want to be sure before I release them."

Gabriel nodded as the doctor left the room. Then, he sat on a stool beside the bed. When Renee finally awoke, she asked, "How is she?"

"She's fine. Small, but doing okay. Dakota, Sara, and the kids are here. Do you want to see them?"

"Send them in."

*******

A few days later, Dr. Granur decided mother and baby were ready to go home. "I'd like for you to bring her back in a couple of weeks just to make sure nothing's developed. Since she's so small, she's more susceptible to illness."

When they got out to the car, Gabriel took Amie and put her in a car seat between Kevin and Meghan. Then, he helped Renee into the car.

They hadn't driven far when a semi-truck came speeding up behind them. Gabriel glanced in the rearview mirror, and his face paled. The driver wasn't paying any attention to the road. Gabriel pulled the car over to the side of the road and waited for the large truck to pass. "You're gonna cause an accident, as..." He stopped when he remembered there were young kids in the car.

Arriving home safely, Renee carried the now sleeping baby up to the room and laid her in the crib, pulling a blanket over her. Gabriel walked up behind her and put his arms around her shoulders. She looked aver at him, and he smiled. Leaning closer, his lips met hers. She hesitated for a moment, then met him halfway. When they pulled apart, he said, "I have missed that so much."

"So have I," she whispered.


	2. chapter 2

Chapter 2

  
  


Renee was sitting at the computer when she felt Gabriel's hands on her shoulders. She turned to face him with a smile. "Kevin and Meghan are at school," he whispered. "And Amie is sleeping. It's been two months. Please let me prove my love."

She seemed hesitant, but the look of yearning in his eyes undid her. She let him lead her over to the couch. Brushing her hair away from her face, he leaned in to kiss her. His lips were gentle and tender, yet full of passion. His hands moved to the buttons on her shirt, working slowly because his lips returned to hers after each button was freed. The shirt fell to the couch, and he ran his hands along her soft skin.

"Now let me do yours." She slid her hands under his t-shirt and lifted it over his head. Trailing her fingers across his chest, she could feel the small hairs prickle at her touch. He pulled her close to him, and she could feel his eagerness. Renee couldn't deny it; she wanted him just as badly.

He lowered her to the couch as his hands went to her jeans. She fumbled with the button on his and finally managed to undo it. His hands moved behind her to cradle her head. She pulled him closer to her, and their bodies moved in time with each other: slowly, tenderly, passionately.

A knock on the door brought them out of their horizontal dance. Jerking his pants on again, he went to answer it. A moment later Renee heard him call back to her as she zipped and buttoned her jeans. "Renee, it's Caitlyn."

She slipped into her shirt and buttoned it as she walked to the door. "Hey, Caitlyn. Come on in."

They walked inside, and Renee picked up a pile of papers from the computer desk. "Here's chapter one," she said, handing the papers to her friend. "I'm working on chapter two now."

Caitlyn sat at the computer and slowly read over the chapter. When she finished, she looked up at Renee and said, "This is wonderful, Renee. I wish I could write like this."

"You really think it's good, then?"

"Of course I do."

Renee smiled as she took the papers from her friend. She looked up as Caitlyn started talking again. "Colleen's going to be staying at my house this weekend while her parents are out of town, and she wanted to know if Meghan could spend the night."

"I don't see a problem with that." Renee looked over at Gabriel, and he nodded. "Yeah, it's fine."

"Colleen'll be very happy. I'll just pick Meghan up after school tomorrow, then?"

"Sounds good."

"Sorry for interrupting you two," she apologized with a grin as she walked to the door.

Once Caitlyn left, Renee turned back to Gabriel. He slid his hand behind her neck and leaned in for another kiss. Just as their lips touched, a wail from upstairs startled them. She pulled away and started up the stairs. Gabriel sighed in frustration and ran his fingers through his hair. They had been together for the first time in ten months and had been interrupted twice. A few minutes later Renee came back down the stairs, carrying their daughter. "She just wanted to let us know she was awake and hungry."

Gabriel took Amie in his arms. "You did that on purpose, didn't you?"

The baby just smiled at him. He held her while Renee went into the kitchen to make up a bottle for her. After she finished feeding, Amie fell asleep in Renee's arms. She put her back to bed.

*******

Kevin sat on the couch, watching tv after school the next day. Renee was in the kitchen, feeding Amie. He jumped up from the couch when he heard a crashing sound from the basement. "Uncle Gabriel's home!" He shouted excitedly as he ran to the stairs.

"Already? He just left fifteen minutes ago," Renee said, stepping out of the kitchen.

Kevin was already halfway down the stairs. Renee shook her head and returned to the kitchen. Another crash came from the basement, and she began to worry. The first one could have been the basement door. It was always loud. If Gabriel was home though, there was no reason for the second one. She picked Amie up out of the highchair, and taking her into the living room, placed her in the playpen. Then, Renee hurried to the basement steps.

"Gabriel," she called down the stairs. When there was no answer, she tried her nephew. "Kevin." There was still no answer. She hurried down the stairs but didn't see anyone. "Kevin, where are you?"

He didn't answer. Renee was getting scared now. She ran back up the steps and grabbed the phone from its receiver. Dialing Gabriel's cell phone number, she waited for him to answer. "Where are you?" She asked quickly when he did.

"At the bank. What is it? Is something wrong with Amie?" He asked, hearing the anxious tone in her voice.

"No, she's fine, but Kevin's gone."

"What do you mean, 'Kevin's gone'?"

"He heard a noise in your shop and thought you were home, so he ran down there. Then, I heard another noise and went down to check, but he was gone." Tears were threatening to come, but she managed to hold them back. Kevin seemed like her son even though he didn't call her Mom.

"I'll be right there."

When he arrived home, Renee was cradling Amie in her arms. He wrapped his arms around his wife and pulled both of them to his chest. They stayed that way until Amie started crying for air. Gabriel pulled away from them and said, "I'm gonna call Sara."

He hung up the phone five minutes later and turned back to Renee. "She said she can't investigate directly, but would contact someone in Missing Persons. And that she'd make sure whoever is in charge of the investigation stays in close contact with her."

They sat on the couch, and Gabriel put his arms around Renee once again. After several minutes, she asked, "Should we call and have Meghan come home?"

He thought for a moment then shook his head. "Let her enjoy herself for now. We can tell her tomorrow when Caitlyn brings her home."

"Maybe they'll find him by then."

Gabriel bent his head down and kissed the top of hers. He wished she was right.

*******

Kevin was scared. No, that wasn't true. He was terrified. His mouth was taped shut, and his hands were restrained in front of him with duct tape. He had no idea how long he'd been there, but it had been several days. He didn't know where he was and couldn't see outside. There were only two small windows in the front of the room. His captor was staring out one of them.

Tears rolled down the young boy's face from knowing there was no way to escape. He chided himself for thinking that. The heroes in the books he read wouldn't be having those thoughts, and they were always getting into these situations. Renee always told him that even though those stories weren't true, he could learn something from them. He tried to concentrate on remembering how they always got out of their problems. His attention, however, kept wandering to his captor.

The man was tall with unruly blond hair and unnaturally blue eyes. He had a thin face with a cruel look to it. Every few minutes he would pace the length of the room, but he always returned to his post at the window. After several hours, he deserted this post and strode over to Kevin. Jerking him to his feet, he said, "It's time to go." He pushed the young boy in front of him and out a door on the side of the building. He pushed him until they came to the end of the dead-end alley.

*******

"Gabe, I really don't want to say this, but it had been a week," Sara told him. "The longer it takes to find him, the less likely we will."

"You have to find him, Sara." Gabriel's eyes were filled with sadness. It tore Sara's heart in half to see her friend like that.

"We're doing our best. I just wish I could be a bigger part in the investigation, but my boss is adamant that we're only in the background." Before she could say anything else, her phone rang. "Pezzeni." She listened to the person on the other end, and a vision assaulted her. Kevin cowering against a wall. Then, he was being pushed into the shadows of an alley. She snapped out of her trance and said, "All right. I'll be right there."

Gabriel glanced sharply at Sara when she hung up the phone, but she wouldn't meet his eyes. "I have to go. I'll call if they find him."

She hurried out to her bike then sped down the road. She stopped at the address she had been told to come to over the phone. She ducked under the yellow tape blocking off the alley. Danny was waiting for her. "They found him?"

He nodded his head slowly. She could see a gathering of police at the far end of the alley.

"Is he..." She couldn't even finish the question.

Danny nodded his head again. "I'm sorry, Pez."

"Oh no. Gabriel and Renee are going to be devastated. They thought of him as their son."

"Do you want me to go with you, Pez?"

"Thanks, Danny," she said, forcing a smile for him. "But I need to do this alone."

They watched as the small body was put in the back of the coroner's van. Then, Sara rode slowly back to Gabriel's house. She didn't want to break the news to her friends. When she arrived, Gabriel, Renee, and Meghan were sitting on the couch, and Amie was in her playpen.

"They found him."

"Thank God," Renee whispered.

"Where is he?" Gabriel asked, anxious to see his nephew again.

"Gabe, he...he's dead."

"No. He can't be."

"I'm so sorry, Gabe. You will need to come down and identify the body."

She walked outside to Give Gabriel and Renee some time alone. Meghan followed her. "Where's my brofer?"

Sara knelt down so she could look the young girl in the eyes. "Meghan, do you remember what happened to your parents?"

She nodded her head solemnly.

"Well, your brother is with them now."

"But you hafta be older before you can go there. He wasn't old enough."

She wanted to console the little girl when the tears welled up in her eyes but knew nothing she could say would help. A moment later Gabriel walked out of the house.

"Meghan, go back in the house. Renee will stay with you while I go with Aunt Sara for a bit."

When they arrived at the morgue, The coroner was waiting for them. He unzipped the bag and opened it enough for Gabriel to se the young boy's face. He nodded as tears moistened his eyes. "That's Kevin."

Sara put her arms around her young friend to comfort him, but he jerked away. Shaking his head, he nearly ran out to the car. She let him go. He needed to sort things out. Maybe Renee would be able to help him.

*******

The man kept the left side of his face turned away from the cashier. He was just glad no one else was in the store. "All I need is the peroxide and bandages," he growled at the lady behind the counter.

"Are you sure, sir?" She just wanted to make sure he had everything he needed, but this seemed to be upsetting him.

"Yes, I'm sure." He paid for the bottle of hydrogen peroxide and box of bandages then quickly exited the building.

He made his way back to his car where he could tend to his wounds. "Damn, that boy was a fighter," he muttered as he poured the liquid onto a bandage, which he placed over the three horizontal scratches on his face. Then he poured the peroxide over the bite marks on his left hand and wrapped a bandage around it.

He'd had to drag him down the alley to where no one could see them. Then, the boy tried to dart past him, but he grabbed his black hair and stopped him from escaping. After that, Kevin took a few layers of skin from his captor's face with his fingernails. He also took a chunk out of the man's hand with his teeth. Finally, Larry Schurz managed to get a hand around the young boy's neck. With a quick motion, Kevin's neck was broken, and he was on the ground, dead.

Larry hurried back to his car and stopped the bleeding from his face and hand. Then, he drove to the store to pick up what he needed. He had to get away as soon as he could. He'd come back for his original quarry later.

*******

Gabriel watched in stony silence as four men lowered his nephew's casket into the cold ground. Renee's face was tear-stained, and Meghan's was identical. Amie slept in her mother's arms all through the funeral.

Everyone gathered around Gabriel and Renee to offer their condolences. They accepted them in silence. Sara, Conchobar, Dakota, Jason, Darvi, Ian, and Caitlyn stuck around after everyone else had left. Dakota hugged Renee and let her cry on her shoulder. Ian sat on the ground beside Meghan talking to her quietly and soothingly.

Sara put her hand on Gabriel's shoulder. "He was just a boy. Just an innocent boy."

"We'll find the creep who did this, Gabe. I promise you that."

"When you find him, Sara, don't kill him."

She was surprised by his request. Sara figured he'd want this man dead with no questions asked. "Of course I'll try to bring him in alive, but why don't you want me to kill him?"

"Because I want to do it myself."

Sara couldn't say she was surprised by the words or by the anger she could hear in them. She had heard it many times before and always had to calm the widows, widowers, or bereaved parents. It was harder, however, when it was her own friend. "Gabe, leave that to us. You can't take justice into your own hands."

He gave her a hard look and said, "I can when it's my nephew, my son, who was killed." With that he stormed to the car to wait for Renee and Meghan.


	3. chapter 3

Chapter 3

  
  


"Gabriel, I think something's wrong with Amie's leg."

"What do you mean?" He asked, glancing away from the computer. There were dark circles under his eyes, and his face was paler than usual. He hadn't been sleeping well since Kevin's murder two months earlier. The murderer still hadn't been found.

"Every time she moves her right leg, that hip clicks."

"Maybe we should call the doctor," he suggested as he walked over to his wife and daughter.

Renee nodded and picked up the phone. Five minutes later she hung up and turned to him. "We have to take her in tomorrow."

He looked at his daughter with worry etched on his face. They knew there would be problems waith her being so small. He just hoped they'd find out this was perfectly normal.

Once they dropped Meghan off at school the next day, Gabriel drove to the hospital. In the examining room, the doctor looked over Amie then turned to her parents. "She appears to have congenital dislocation of the hip. It occurs when the hip socket isn't deep enough for the bone. It seems to be a minor case at least. We can probably just fix it with a splint."

Twenty minutes later her leg was in the splint, and they were ready to go home. "Try to keep her as still as possible. Hopefully, the problem will be corrected in a month."

When they arrived home, Renee took Amie upstairs while Gabriel checked on his shop. She was headed back down the stairs when she heard his exclamations of anger coming from the basement. She ran down there and instantly saw what had him so upset.

A set of shelves had been knocked to the floor, and broken merchandise was strewn across it. Shards of an Ancient Mayan urn laid among the ashes it had once contained. Billy the Kid's gun was hidden under an ancient Greek bronze helmet. Pieces of Sumerian tablets were scattered across the floor.

"He's back."

*******

"Gabe, I told you to leave this to us."

"Sara, I have to do this. If he comes after me or my family, I need to be able to protect myself and them. I'm not going to lose anyone else."

"You're going to get yourself killed."

"Then, that's what will happen. But I won't just let him kill me or the ones I love."

Sara sighed in defeat. "Fine. Then at least let me show you how to handle that gun."

She spent the next half hour intrusting him on how to load the gun, hold it, and aim it. When she finished, Sara made sure it was empty and handed it back to him. "Now, practice shooting it."

He aimed at a small window and squeezed the trigger. Sara shook her head. "That shot would have gone far to the right. You have to keep your hand steady. Try it again."

She had him do this again and again for fifteen minutes. Finally, she sighed and stopped him. "Gabe, that's enough. Give me the gun."

He saw the concerned look in her eyes and refused. "No, Sara. You won't give it back."

She started to say something when Renee walked into the shop. "Amie wanted to see you."

Gabriel put the gun on a shelf and took his daughter from his wife. The little girl laughed when he kissed her nose. "How's her leg?" He asked, looking up at his wife. Amie's leg was still in a splint after their trip to the doctor's, so he knew the problem wasn't completely fixed.

"He said it's better. We have to go back in two weeks. Should be fine by then."

Sara interrupted them. "I need to get going before the captain jumps down my throat. Gabe, be careful," she warned.

Renee took Amie from him. "I'm gonna go feed her then put her back to bed." She hesitated for a moment then asked, "Do you really think you're going to need that?"

"I hope not, Renee. I really hope not."

*******

Half an hour later Gabriel was getting ready to head upstairs for a late lunch when he heard the door creak open then slam violently shut. He started to turn around, and an arm wrapped around his neck. He paniced and struggled against his attacker, who sent his knee into Gabriel's back. He gasped in pain and fell to his knees as the man let go. Gabriel grabbed onto a shelf and pulled himself to his feet. He reached for his gun only to find it gone. "Aren't you glad you have such caring cop friends?"

The man grinned as he sent his fist into Gabriel's side. Then, he hit his chin with a right uppercut, and Gabriel's head snapped back. He tried focusing his eyes, but his attacker kept throwing punch after punch. Gabriel finally managed to slip inside a left hook and threw a right to the body. The man took a step back then resumed with a new ferocity. He broke Gabriel's nose with the heel of his hand, opened a cut above his right eye, and smashed his lips into his teeth. The smaller man took punch after punch, swaying on his feet. He tried to get his hands up, but they were easily batted down.

Suddenly the door opened upstairs, and Renee stepped down onto the stairs, but she still couldn't see down into the shop. "Gabe, are you coming up for lunch?" She called down to him.

Gabriel's attacker retreated to the door. Before leaving, he whispered, "I haven't finished. You're not through paying yet."

The door shut behind him just as Renee descended farther down the stairs. Gabriel fell to the floor, unable to support his own weight any longer. Stepping onto the floor, she instantly saw him lieing on his side and ran over to him. His left eye was swollen shut, and blood was running from his lips, nose, and numerous other cuts on his face. He opened his right eye and tried to smile at her. Renee fell to her knees beside him. "What happened?"

He just shook his head as he struggled to his knees. She put her arm around his shoulders and helped him get to his feet and up the stairs. "Gabe, what happened?" She asked again once she had him on the couch.

"Nothing. Don't worry about it," he mumbled.

"Gabriel, who did this?" Renee demanded.

He just shook his head again. Renee sighed in frustration and went to get what she needed to take care of his face. She carefully washed away the blood, cleaned out the cuts, and put bandages over the worse ones. When she finished, she told him, "Lay down here. I need to go pick Meghan up from school."

Once she left, Gabriel stood up from the couch and walked over to the computer. He took out a piece of paper, sat down, and started writing. Five minutes later he picked up the phone and dialed a number. "Caitlyn, can you come over and watch Amie for a few minutes? Renee went to pick Meghan up, and I have to go out."

"Sure, Gabe. I'll be right there."

He took the note he had just written into their bedroom and put it on Renee's dresser. Then, he went into Amie's room, leaned over the crib, and brushed a lock of her hair away from her forehead. "Goodbye," he whispered. As soon as Caitlyn arrived, he left.

When Renee returned, she saw her friend sitting on the couch. "What are you doing here?"

"Gabriel called and asked me to come watch Amie while he went out."

"He went out?" Renee had a feeling he wasn't planning on coming back for a while.

"Yeah. What's wrong, Renee?"

She shook her head and ran up to the bedroom, her eyes darting around the room. Gabriel's cell phone was sitting on his dresser. He obviously didn't want anyone to contact him. Her gaze came to rest on the folded piece of paper laying on her dresser. She grabbed it and read over it silently, tears gathering in the corners of her eyes.

  
  


Renee,

I promised to never leave you, but I also promised to protect you. I can't keep both ends of that promise anymore, and I won't let anything happen to you, Amie, or Meghan. This man is after me. I've already lost one person to this maniac. I will not lose anymore. So I'm going to stay away from those I care about until this is over. If he doesn't kill me, I will return to you. I promise you that. I love you, Renee.

  
  


Gabriel

  
  


The tears streamed down her face as she sank to the floor. A few minutes later she felt a small hand on her shoulder, and Meghan asked, "What's wong, Aunt Renee? Where's Uncle Gabiel?"

"Trying to get himself killed," she whispered as she turned and gathered her niece in her arms.

*******

Gabriel leaned against the building. He sank to the ground, shivering. He hadn't grabbed his coat before leaving the house, and the air had grown cooler as the sun descended. His head dropped into his hands, and he closed his eyes, his thoughts returning to Renee. He could remember the way she looked when he first met her. She was comfortable in a pair of jeans, a t-shirt, and a light-weight jacket. Her hair had been pulled back in a loose ponytail, and her face was completely clear of make-up. There had been a friendly, yet guarded look in her eyes.

He wished he was with her now but knew that was too dangerous for his family. He didn't care what happened to him. No, he had to admit that wasn't true. He did care. He cared for Renee, for Meghan, for Amie. Renee would have read the note by now, he thought to himself, glancing at his watch. Gabriel knew what her reactions would be, just not in what order they would come. She would be angry with him, scared for him, and for herself and the girls. She wouldn't be sleeping; she refused to unless he was lying beside her.

He needed to do something. He couldn't just sit there and wait for the monster to find him. "I need to see Sara," he said to himself as he stood up from the ground.

As he turned around, he heard someone say, "Now, why would you want to do that?"

Before he had time to react, Larry sent his fist into Gabriel's face. "I wouldn't like that very much."

Gabriel licked the blood from his split bottom lip, then he started for his attacker. Larry stopped him with two fists to the stomach, doubling him over in pain and sending him to one knee. Instead of straightening up from the ground, Gabriel lunged from his position. He head-butted Larry in the chest and pushed him against the wall he had been sitting against just a moment before. With his enemy pinned to the wall, Gabriel began slugging him in the stomach.

Larry battered the side of the other man's head with his elbow, but it didn't deter him. Gabriel knew he was fighting for his life. After trying for several more minutes to batter him away without success, Larry gave up on this defense. Instead, he jerked his knee up into Gabriel's stomach. He backed away while Larry took a deep breath. Then, they came together again. Gabriel took several punches but wouldn't back up or go down. He took three quick rights to the ribs and returned one to Larry's jaw.

They exchanged punches for a few more minutes, then Larry reached around Gabriel, wrapped his fingers together, and ground his knuckles into the smaller man's spine. Gabriel's body was bent backwards nearly in half. He wrapped his legs around those of his attacker, and they both fell to the ground. Both men heard a loud crack when Gabriel's knee hit against the pavement. They rolled apart and got to their feet, but Larry was quicker.

He grabbed the front of Gabriel's shirt and held him against the wall. With his other hands, he sent punch after punch into Gabriel's face until it was covered with blood. The back of his head was bleeding as well from hitting the wall. Larry let him drop to the ground. As he pushed himself up, the other man sent a foot into his stomach. "I'm crazy, am I?" He asked as a second kick followed the first. "Didn't believe me, did you?" He sent a kick to Gabriel's ribs with each word as the smaller man clung to consciousness. He tried to move away, but any movement sent excruciating pain through his knee. "I told you that you'd pay. You'd regret your scorn of me. But you just laughed. Are you regretting it now?"

"Go to Hell," Gabriel told him through clenched teeth.

Larry's foot connected with his chin, clicking his teeth together and sending him plummeting into the darkness of unconsciousness. Larry kicked him in the stomach once more then left the bruised, bloody, and broken body in the street. People passed by, but ignored him, thinking he was a young bum sleeping off a drunk.

*******

"Sara," Renee said when she heard her on the other end of the line.

"What is it, Renee?" She could tell the younger woman had been crying.

"Gabe left. Someone attacked him in his shop, and he left so we're not put in danger. But he's gonna get himself killed."

A vision attacked Sara. Gabriel fighting back against an attacker. Then, the attacker kicking him. Finally, she saw Gabriel laying in a street, blood covering his face.

"Sara?" Renee's voice finally came through to her.

"Don't worry, Renee. I'll find him." She grabbed her helmet and left her apartment.


	4. chapter 4

Chapter 4

  
  


Sara walked slowly along the street, checking each alley. She had left her bike at the coffee house a few blocks away to search on foot. After looking down eleven side streets, she still hadn't found him. Sara was getting worried. What if he was already dead? What if he was badly hurt and had dragged himself away to die somewhere else, and she never found him?

"Hey, mister," Sara called to a homeless man sitting against the wall of a building.

He glanced up at her, his eyes wary. His clothes were dirty, and his hair disheveled, but he kept his back straight and he head held up as he stood to face her.

"I'm looking for someone," she told him, showing him her badge. "He's about 5'9", longish brown hair, light brown eyes, pale. He's probably looking like someone mistook him for a punching bag."

"Haven't seen him," the man said, turning away from her.

Looking down at the Witchblade, Sara saw that it was glowing. This man knew something he wasn't telling her. He had seen Gabriel and knew where he was.

"Wait," she called after him.

He turned to face her again. "What?"

"I need your help. He's my friend, and I need to find him. His wife's worried sick."

The man hesitated then shook his head. "Sorry. Haven't seen him."

She let him leave then walked back to her bike. She wouldn't get anything out of arguing with him. She called Renee as she walked. "No, I haven't found him yet." Renee hadn't even given her time to say hello. "I'll search the hospitals tomorrow. Stay home. I'll call you when I find him."

*******

Once Sara left, the homeless man ducked through a hole in the wall that couldn't be seen from the head of the alley. The other two men in the room looked up when he stepped inside. "What's up, Murph?" One of them asked.

"Someone looking for our guest, but I sent her away. How's he doing?"

"No change," one of the men told him. "Still out cold. Murph, he really needs to get to a hospital."

Murph shook his head. "He might be wanted. That girl who was looking for him was a cop. Said she was his friend, but you can never trust them."

"He needs to see a doctor though. He'll die if he doesn't."

"I'll take care of him."

Murph walked over to the far corner of the room and knelt beside the unconscious young man. He took a rag from a bowl of water. It wasn't clean, but it was the only water they had. He used it to wash the feverish sweat away from Gabriel's face. "Boy, someone must've really hated you. What I don't understand is why. You seem to gave got some hits in on him too, at least." He glanced back at his friends, but they couldn't hear him or, if he kept his head turned, see his face. "You remind me of my son. He was always getting into trouble. Never looked for it either. He's dead now." He bent his head and wiped a tear from his eye. "If I take you to the hospital, the cops will find you for whatever reason they've thought up. But if I don't, you're gonna die. That guy really did a number on you." After a moment, he slowly stood and walked over to his friends. "I need to see someone. I'll be back in a few minutes."

*******

Sara was sitting at a table in the corner of the coffee house when the homeless man walking in and up to the woman at the counter. "Marie, I need some soup and some water."

"Pick up another one, Murph?"

"Yeah."

"How bad is this one?" She asked as she went about getting the things he needed.

"Pretty bad."

"He wanted?"

"Might be," he said with a shrug. "Cop was looking for him. Claimed to be a friend, but you never know."

She handed him a thermos filled with beef broth and a bottle of water. He turned away, and his eyes met Sara's. He broke contact after a minute and walked out the door. Glancing back one, he hurried down the street. Sara finished her meal and coffee, trusting the Witchblade to guide her.

Just as she turned into the alley, the Witchblade showed her a vision of this man carrying Gabriel through a hole in a building. The she saw him taking care of her friend and keeping watch over him while two other men slept. She shook herself out of the trance and stepped through the hole. Two of the men stood while Murph glanced up from his patient.

"How is he?" She asked as she strode across the room.

Murph saw the concern in her eyes, but remained wary. That was what had kept him alive this long. "Not good. You gonna take him in?"

"Why would I do that? He not wanted for anything."

The sight of her friend caused her face to pale. His nose was crushed, his lips were in shreds, and the rest of his face was covered with cuts. the blood had been washed away, but the reasons behind it were still there. His face was paler than usual. He was soaked with the sweat of fever, but his body was wracked with chills.

"Why are you after him then?"

"I told you. He's my friend. We need to get him to the hospital." She took out her cell phone and called for an ambulance. Once it was on its way, she called Renee. "Yeah, I found him. No, he's still alive. It doesn't look good. I'll see you at the hospital. You're welcome, Renee.

While they waited for an ambulance, Sara turned to Murph. "Thanks for taking care of him. Just wish you would've told me the truth the first time I asked."

"Sorry, Miss. Didn't want you hauling him in."

She hesitated for a moment, then asked something that was on her mind. "Why did you help him? From what that woman said, you're known to do this, but why?"

He looked at her with sad eyes. "I don't have a family anymore. Guess I just need to be taking care of someone."

She nodded, and they waited in silence. A few minutes later the ambulance arrived. The paramedics loaded him into the back and raced him to the hospital.

*******

Renee paced the length of the waiting room. Amie slept in the baby carrier in the chair next to Sara. Meghan sat on the other side of her.

"He'll be fine, Renee," Sara assured the younger woman even though she wasn't so sure.

"What if he's not?"

"He will be. Now relax. You're gonna wear a hole in the floor."

Renee slumped into a chair and closed her eyes. A moment later she felt Meghan's small hand slip into hers, and she opened her eyes to look into the large brown ones. Without a word, the young girl climbed onto the chair and wrapped her arms around her aunt. Renee pulled her close, and they stayed like that until the doctor came out to talk to them.

"His body went into shock from all the damage done to it. His nose, several ribs, and his right knee are broken. The back of his head is severely lacerated, and he seems to have a concussion. I bandaged the cuts on his face and the back of his head and gave him something to bring down the fever. As long as it comes down within the next twenty-four hours, he should recover just fine."

"Can I see him?"

The doctor shook his head. "I have to put his knee in a cast and bind up his ribs. Then, you can see him."

She nodded her head and sank back into the chair. Renee closed her eyes, and soon she fell into an exhausted sleep. She awoke instantly when Amie began crying some time later. She took her daughter from the carrier and held her. Amie calmed down as soon as she was in her mother's arms.

Renee glanced up when Dr. Granur walked into the room. He nodded and said, "He's still sleeping, but you can see him now."

She walked down the hallway and quietly entered the room. The back of Gabriel's head was covered with a large bandage, and several smaller ones covered the worst of the cuts on his face. The bindings on his ribs came up to his chest. There was a cast on his leg from the knee up, and his leg was slightly elevated. Medication entered his bloodstream through an IV. in his arm.

Renee sat in a chair and held Amie in her lap. She grabbed Gabriel's hand and folded his fingers over their daughter's tiny fist. "You have to get better," she whispered as tears slid down her cheeks.

She put Amie on the floor and took his hand in both of hers. A moment later his whole body went into convulsions. Scared, she grabbed Amie from the floor and ran to the door to call for the doctor. She didn't need to, however. He was already running down the hall. She stepped outside to let him and the nurses into the room, then the door shut in her face.

Dakota came down the hallway, followed by everyone else. Renee looked up when Conchobar said, "Don' worry 'bout 'im. He'll be a'right. He's a tough scrapper, that lad."

Meghan looked at Renee and asked, "Is Uncle Gabiel all 'ight?" Renee wanted to tell her niece that everything would be fine, but she couldn't. "I don't know, sweetie. The doctors are taking care of him. All we can do is wait." Even as she said the words, she wished there was something else they could do.

"Everything will be fine, Renee," Dakota assured her.

Amie whimpered, sensing from Renee that something was wrong. Renee rubbed her hand along the infant's back, trying to soothe her. Tears ran down the tiny face, and she buried her head against her mother's shoulder. Renee ran her fingers through the thickening mass of dark brown curls. "Don't cry, sweetie. You don't want your daddy to see your pretty face tear-stained, do you?" Amie sniffled a few times, and Renee wiped her daughter's tears away with her thumb.

Twenty minutes later Dr. Granur came out of the room. "It's a good thing we have him on an alarm system. It lets us know if something happens."

"What did happen?" Renee asked.

"He had a violent reaction to the medication I had him on. It caused his heart rate to rapidly increase, then drop even faster. He almost went into cardiac arrest, but we managed to get his heart back to its normal rate. I put him on a different medication and made a note of this so we don't do that again."

"Is he going to be okay?"

"He should be fine, Renee. You should go home and get some sleep."

"No, I'm staying here."

"You can't do anything here though. Get some sleep and come back in the morning."

She shook her head. "I want to be here when he wakes up."

"He probably won't before morning."

She sighed. "Fine. But I'll be back here early tomorrow."

"That's fine. Just get some sleep."

As they left, Caitlyn asked Renee, "Do you want me to stay with the kid's tomorrow?"

"I'd be grateful."

*******

Two days later the doctor let Gabriel leave the hospital. Before they left, Dr. Granur stopped Renee and handed her a bottle of pills. "Make sure he takes those. He's going to be in a lot of pain while he heals, but knowing him, he won't say anything. Make sure he doesn't try to walk without his crutches for the next six weeks. In fact, he should move as little as possible."

Renee nodded and met Gabriel at the door. They made it out to the car, and Renee helped him into the passenger's seat. Then, she climbed in the other side. If they had looked around, they would have seen a man standing across the street, openly watching them. There was shock, then anger in his eyes. "How can he still be alive?" Larry muttered to himself.

*******

"Hey, Sara," Gabriel said, looking up from the couch the next morning when his friend walked through the door.

"Well, you're happy. Good thing considering you almost died the other day."

"He's happy now," Renee said, walking out of the kitchen with Amie squirming in his arms. "Because he just took his pain meds, and they haven't knocked him out yet. He was grumpy earlier."

He stuck his bottom lip out in a pout. "Was not."

"Were too," she retorted as she put Amie in her playpen.

Sara shook her head at the couple's playful arguing. "Gabe, I have someone here you might want to meet."

Who is it?"

Meghan walked into the room just as Sara was showing in the mysterious guest. The little girl's eyes widened in recognition, then a smile broke over her face. "Gweat Gandpa," she squealed as she ran to him.

He scooped her up in his arms. "Meghan. Tommy's little girl. But you're not little anymore." His eyes traveled to Gabriel. "And you're not Tommy."

"No, I'm not. Who are you?"

"Gabe," Sara broke in. "this is Seth Logan, known to everyone on the street as Murph. He's the man who probably saved your life and your grandfather."

They both looked at her in surprise. "My grandfather?"

"Can't be," Seth protested. "I only have one grandson, Tommy. The other one was taken as a...No, it can't be."

Gabriel swallowed and nodded his head slowly. "Thomas found me about a year ago. Then, him and Brenna were killed, and we adopted the kids. Then, about three month ago, Kevin was killed." Gabriel had to swallow past a lump in his throat before continuing. "By the same man who did this to me."

Renee stepped forward and took the man's hand in hers. "Thank you."

"For what, ma'am?"

"For saving my husband's life. I don't know how to repay you."

He waved his hand. "Don't even think about it."

"He could probably use a place to stay," Sara piped in from the doorway.

"Of course," Renee replied eagerly. "We have an extra room." Her eyes clouded up as the words escaped across her lips. The room had been Kevin's.

She took him upstairs to show him the room. When they returned, Gabriel was sleeping, and Sara was gone. "You hungry?"

He nodded, and they went into the kitchen. "Do you know who did this?" He asked while Renee made him a sandwich.

She shook her head. "Gabe hasn't had a chance to tell anyone yet."

"Will they find him?"

Renee nodded her head. "Sara will."

"I'm sure she will. She found me, and I know no one followed me."

They walked back into the living room once he finished his sandwich and looked in on Amie. She had a plastic key ring in her mouth and the corner of a small blanket in her hand. "She's beautiful."

Amie grinned, knowing they were talking about her. She let go of the blanket and held her arms up to Renee. "You always want to be held, don't you?" Renee asked as she leaned over the edge of the playpen, rubbing the tiny girl's mass of curls. "You stay in there for now."

Looking over at Gabriel, Seth said, "Now I know why he reminded me of my son."


	5. chapter 5

Chapter 5

  
  


"Gabriel, your knee seems to be healing nicely. I think I can take the cast off now. You will need to wear a brace for a few weeks though." Dr. Granur held up a knee brace and continued. "It's rather small to allow a little movement of the knee but still provides the support you need. You can probably go down to using just one crutch as well, but you still need to keep as much weight off of that leg as possible."

"Thanks, Jaime," Gabriel told the doctor once the brace had been fitted to his knee.

Dr. Granur chuckled. "You know, Gabriel, it probably isn't a good sign that we're on a first-name basis."

"Why's that?"

"Because it probably means you're in here too often."

They joined in his laughter, but Gabriel stopped after a second with a wince and placed his hand over his ribs. The doctor looked at him with concern. "Your ribs still hurting?"

Gabriel shook his head. "Just sometimes."

He frowned, not knowing whether his patient was telling him the truth or not but having to take his word for it. "Just take it easy."

Gabriel hobbled out of the room ten minutes later with the help of his crutch while Renee walked behind him. When they arrived home, Meghan was sitting on the couch with her great-grandfather struggling through the words of a book. Seth was helping her with the most difficult ones. Gabriel grinned and whispered to Renee, "She's not even your daughter, and yet somehow she got an interest in reading from you."

Seth looked up at them and smiled in greeting. "She's a quick learner. Will probably start getting into your shelves soon, Renee." He grabbed his jacket from the back of a chair. "I'm gonna go out jobhunting again."

"You really don't have to do that."

"Gabriel, I will not be a freeloader."

Gabriel sighed in frustration as the older man walked out the door. "Ex-soldiers are so hard to live with."

"You're not exactly easy to live with, and you were never a soldier," Renee teased.

"You've never complained before. I thought you enjoyed it." He grinned at her.

"I never said I didn't. Just that you aren't easy to live with." She wrapped her arm gently around him and raised her face to his. Their lips met in a deep kiss. They were pulled out of the moment by a gagging sound coming from the couch. Renee turned and laughed at the disgusted look on Meghan's face. "Sorry, Meghan," she apologized, still laughing.

Gabriel sat on the couch and propped his leg up on the coffee table. "I'm going to put Amie down for her nap," Renee said as she lifted their daughter from her playpen.

Ten minutes later she walked back down the stairs. Just as she reached the bottom, the front door slammed open.

*******

Larry watched as Renee and Gabriel entered the house. He grinned wickedly. His enemy was still dependent on a crutch to walk. That should make what he planned to do much easier. He smiled as the old man left. 'Good,' he thought to himself. 'Means one I won't have to worry about.'

He had waited so long to strike again so they'd let their guard down. Now was the perfect time. Even if they hadn't forgotten about him, they wouldn't be worrying that he was coming. They would think he had given up. That unfortunate misconception would soon be revealed.

He made his way to the house and opened the door with a slam. When Renee saw him, she instantly knew who it was even though she had never seen him, and her face paled. Gabriel had a similar reaction. He pushed himself up from the couch and slowly made his way to the door. "What are you doing here?" He demanded to know. "Why don't you just leave me alone?"

"I told you you'd pay. I'm just keeping my word."

"Because I wouldn't buy something from you? It was completely bogus."

"Because you called me crazy. You didn't take me seriously. Now you'll pay."

Gabriel put all of his weight on his left leg and swung his crutch at Larry's legs. The other man jumped out of the way, drawing his gun at the same time. "That was a stupid move, boy."

Just as he cocked the gun, a wail sounded from upstairs. Renee was torn between checking on her daughter and staying with her husband. Gabriel gave her a look that told her to go upstairs. She started up the steps, but Larry yelled, "Stay down here!"

She turned and glared at him. "My daughter is crying, and I am going to see what's wrong with her."

Larry turned his attention to Gabriel. He pushed him onto the couch, and the injured man groaned when the movement jarred his knee. "Stay there." He let out a cruel laugh. "Not that you'd make it very far anyway."

He followed Renee up the stairs with his gun on her. Once they were out of sight, Gabriel whispered urgently to Meghan, "Get out of here. Go to the neighbor's and call Sara."

She jumped off of the couch and ran silently out the door. Gabriel glanced at the stairs, then struggled to his feet and made his way over to the phone. Meghan didn't even know Sara's number; He just wanted to get her out of the house.

Upstairs, Renee was lifting Amie out of the crib. "All right. You have her. Now, get back downstairs," Larry demanded impatiently.

Renee glared at him but held back a sharp retort. She started back down the stairs with Amie against her shoulder. Larry prodded her in the back with his gun. She stumbled but held onto her daughter and managed to keep her balance. "Are you trying to kill us?"

His grin held no amusement, only cruelty. "That is my plan. Now get going."

Her look of fear only fed him. He prodded her in the back again, but she wouldn't let herself stumble again. They were halfway down the steps before they could see into the living room. when Larry saw Gabriel lifting the phone from its cradle, he was enraged. He sent a bullet into the phone, causing Gabriel to jump back in shock and fear. The shot had just barely missed his hand. Instead it shattered the top half of the phone.

Renee stared in fearful silence as he descended the last several steps and purposefully strode toward her husband. "I told you to stay on the couch," he said in a menacing tome as he sent his fist into the other man's stomach.

Gabriel fell to the floor, doubled over in pain. Larry grabbed his shirt and pulled him to his feet. "Don't even think I'm gonna let you get out of this alive." He turned to Renee and yelled, "Get down here now, and shut that baby up!" Amie still hadn't stopped crying.

Renee glared at him as she stepped onto the floor. "She's getting over an ear infection, so she's gonna cry."

"Well, get her to shut up already."

the door opened again, and the three of them glanced at the new arrival. It only took a second for Seth's mind to process what was happening. Then, he was moving quickly across the room while Larry raised his gun. Before he could squeeze off a shot, however, Seth was right in front of him. He chopped down with the heel of his hand on the intruder's wrist, causing him to drop the gun. The older man deftly retrieved it when Larry grabbed his wrist. "Get out of here," he growled. "And stay away from my family."

Larry threw a glare at Gabriel that sent a chill down his spine, then backed out the door. Once he was gone, Gabriel turned to his grandfather with a thankful, yet weak smile. "Guess it's a good thing I decided to take a break from hunting to get some lunch," Seth said, his ever-present wide smile on his face. "Meghan ran out of the neighbor's when she saw me. All I could make out was 'Bad man inside. Call Sara. Don't know number.' Everything else was jumbled together. Could tell something was wrong, so I told her to stay there while I checked it out. Glad I did."

"Good thing you've kept yourself in shape, old man," Gabriel said with a grin.

"Hey, watch it, youngster." He grew concerned when he noticed his grandson was extremely pale, and his hands were shaking uncontrollably. "Are you all right, Gabe?"

"Yeah, I'm fine." His breakfast took that moment to disagree with him. Falling to his knees, he began to retch. Once he finished vomiting, he struggled to his feet. Seth grabbed his arm and helped him over to the couch.

"You are definitely not fine." Renee handed Amie to Seth, and she sat on the couch beside her husband. "Your ribs are still bothering you. I see you grimace with pain every time you do something you're not ready for yet. why didn't you tell the doctor?"

"Because I'm fine."

"No, you're not. You're hurt. Why are you so damn stubborn?"

"He couldn't do anything anyway. He'd just tell me to take it easy so they could heal."

"Then why don't you actually do that?"

He knew she was right, but he wouldn't meet her eyes.

"Gabriel," Renee said his name softly, reaching out to touch his chin. He looked up, his soft brown eyes meeting her darker ones. Her other hand reached out to brush his neck.

Seth could see what was transpiring and cleared his throat. "I'm gonna take Amie for a walk. I'll grab Meghan as well."

They didn't take their eyes from each other when they nodded. As soon as he was gone, Gabriel moved his hands around her neck, his thumb brushing along the line of her jaw. His fingers would around some loose strands of her hair, and he pulled her up against him. She could feel the trembling of his body as the fear left him.

Their lips met in a passionate kiss, and Gabriel's tongue explored her mouth. She responded with a small groan, and her body pressed closer to his. After several minutes, they remembered they still needed to breathe. Pulling apart, Gabriel let his hands travel down her back. She leaned into him again, her lips brushing against his cheek this time. The touch of her lips left a trail down his neck.

His body was responding to her touch; she could feel it through their clothes. His fingers fumbled with the buttons on her shirt, in a hurry to remove it. She wasn't making the process any easier, not able to keep her lips off of his. It finally fell to the floor in a pile.

Her hands moved underneath his shirt almost by instinct and pulled it over his head. They traveled down his chest and across his stomach once his shirt had joined hers. Her hands traveled to his back. Her fingers traced around his shoulder blades, down his spine, then back up to his shoulders. Gabriel wrapped his hands around her waist and lowered himself onto the couch with her on top of him.

His fingers brushed lightly across her cheek, then he leaned in to take another kiss. She twisted her fingers through his hair and deepened their kiss. He groaned involuntarily as she pressed against him, her weight heavy on his damaged ribs. Renee pulled away quickly, apologizing, "I'm so sorry. We shouldn't be doing this. Your ribs-."

He placed a finger over her lips and shook his head. "Never say that again, Renee. Ever."

She couldn't resist the deep passionate look in his eyes. Lowering herself back down on top of him, she caressed his ear with her lips. He kissed the soft skin of her neck then raised his head to look in her eyes. "You are so beautiful," he whispered. He pushed her loose hair behind her ears and ran his fingers down to her chin.

Renee moved her hands gently down his sides to the top of his jeans. He fumbled with the button on her jeans while she undid his. As he pulled off her pants, his fingers caressed every inch of bare skin. She shivered with pleasure from his touch. Their jeans finally fell to the floor in a pile.

*******

"You know," Darvi said to her younger sister. "Neither of us have set a date for the weddings yet."

"We could always have a double wedding," Dakota suggested.

"That would wonderful. As long as the men agree to it. But we still need a date."

"Sometime around Christmas. I'd like to have a winter wedding."

"Not before. It's too hectic then as it is. How about in January once things from the holidays have settled down?"

"How about the eleventh?"

"For what?" Jason asked, walking into the room with Ian behind him.

Dakota smiled at him. "Our double wedding. Does that date sound good to you?"

"Sounds perfect," he said as he crossed the room and encircled her in his arms.

*******

"Is that what you meant by taking it easy?" Gabriel asked as he grinned at Renee.

"Not exactly." She couldn't believe she was laying there in his arms. It was just a little more than a year and a half ago that she was denying how she felt about him. Now, she was giving herself to him completely. She nestled deeper into his chest and closed her eyes.


	6. chapter 6

chapter 6

  
  


"Gandpa Seth, why awe you knockin' on the door?"

"Because I wanted to let your aunt and uncle know we're home."

"Why? They would know when we go inside."

"Because I didn't want to interrupt them in the middle of something."

"Like what?" Meghan was being a typical curious five-year-old. "Something you can wait to learn about."

"Why do I have to wait?"

"Because you have to be older before you can learn about it."

"Why?"

"Because it's only something adults should do."

"Why?"

Seth chuckled at her curiosity. "Just wait. You'll find out one day."

He knocked on the door again. It opened a few moments later to reveal Gabriel standing there in just his jeans. "What were you and Aunt Renee doing?" Meghan asked.

Gabriel glanced at his grandfather, but the older man just shook his head, trying not to laugh again. "Uh, well, we were-."

Renee walked up behind him and grinned at their niece. "We were taking it easy, Meghan."

Gabriel really had to restrain himself so he didn't laugh. He turned around and whispered in her ear, "I'm not sure that's the way to describe it."

Meghan disappeared into the house before they could kiss in front of her again. The adults laughed, then Seth knitted his brows as he looked at his grandson. "Gabriel, why aren't you using your crutch?"

"I'm doing fine without it."

"You're just gonna make your knee worse."

"I said I'm doing fine without out," he said defensively.

"Why are you so bullheaded?"

"Guess I take after you."

Seth just shook his head. "Boy, that's not necessarily a good thing."

Renee laughed, then picked her daughter up out of the stroller. "Maybe this time you'll actually take a nap." Amie grinned at her mother.

*******

Sweat ran down his face from under his helmet. He switched his rifle to his other hand and wiped the sweaty palm across his forehead. The man to his right was offering bets on how much longer they would last. He shook his head; Declan Murphy never took life seriously, even with death all around him.

He returned his attention to the front. Night would soon be approaching and with it, a slight cooling of temperatures. It would also bring increased danger. He wiped the dripping sweat away once again and blinked his eyes.

"They will no' be comin' t'night," the lilting Irish voice came from his right.

"I wouldn't be too sure about that, Dec. They'll be coming before long."

Just as he finished saying that, several North Koreans seemingly appeared out of thin air. Their bullets sliced the air as he brought the butt of the rifle to his shoulder. Korean after Korean fell, but they kept coming. "Why don' they jus' gi'e up?" Declan shouted over the gunfire.

"Because it ain't that easy my friend."

His next shot took a Korean through the throat. The man fell to the ground, gagging on his blood as it spurted out of his neck. He felt something wet hit his face and glanced quickly to his right. "Oh, shit."

Declan's chest exploded in a burst of red as two bullets hit him at once. He fell to the ground, but wasn't dead yet. Seth acted quickly. He put his arms under his friend's shoulders and dragged him away from the action. Laying him on the ground, Seth dropped to his knees to examine his friend. Pink froth was bubbling from his lips when he tried to speak. "Carad, will ye do me a favor?"

"Of course, Dec. Anything."

"Tell me wife...tell her...I...I love her." The light in his eyes was quickly fading.

"You tell her, Dec."

"No, Carad. Ye will ha'e t' do...do it." He coughed up blood...a lot of it. "Please take...take care o' her."

"I will, Dec." He knew there was nothing he could do to save his friend. At least one of the bullets had punctured a lung.

The Irishman turned American for just a few short years coughed up blood again. Then, his eyes were empty.

  
  


Seth woke with a start. His shirt was soaked with sweat from the nightmare. It was vivid, almost like it had just happened. In reality, it had happened fifty years ago. He swung his feet to the floor and slowly made his way downstairs. He could never get back to sleep after these dreams. Of course, they weren't really dreams. A better word was memories. They weren't frequent anymore, but still as disturbing as they had been for the past fifty years.

He turned on the television, not really caring what was on. It was just something to distract his mind. Reclining on the couch, he closed his eyes. Sleep wouldn't come, but he could still try to find it. Twenty minutes later he heard the front door creak open, and his body was instantly alert. Footsteps crossed the floor and stopped behind the couch. Seth saw an arm above him, holding a gun on him. He reached up toward it and grabbed the arm on both sides of the elbow. With a quick movement, he snapped it and a scream of pain filled the house. Larry grabbed his arm as the gun clattered to the floor.

A moment later Gabriel was running down the steps. "What happened?" He demanded when he saw Seth standing in front of the couch.

"Call the police. We had an intruder. I think it was the same guy from before."

Gabriel grabbed the phone and dialed Sara's number. When she answered, he told her what he thought had happened, and she promised to be over as soon as she got a hold of Danny. He returned the phone to its receiver and flicked on a light. Larry's arm was dangling at his side. The broken bone protruded from the skin. Seth had retrieved the gun and was now training it on Larry.

Sara arrived fifteen minutes later. When she opened the door, Larry spun around and bolted for the opening. He almost mowed her down in his desperate escape, but the Witchblade activated just in time. It slid through his chest, and his body went limp. The blade retracted, and he fell to the floor. Seth stared at her for a moment, then said, "I have seen strange things in my life, but that definitely tops them all."

Sara bit her lip, and Seth shrugged. "Don't worry. Your secret is safe with me."

She smiled gratefully at him, then turned as Danny walked through the door. "We should get his body out of here." Her partner nodded and dragged the body out of the house. "You guys gonna be okay?" She asked.

"Yeah, we're fine," Gabriel said, grinning at her.

*******

"Why were you downstairs that night?" Gabriel asked his grandfather one morning while trying to change a squirming baby. It had been a month since the incident, but they hadn't talked about it at all. 

"Just couldn't sleep," he replied with a shrug. "Memories," he said as further explanation.

Gabriel nodded, most of his attention on Amie. "Will you please hold still? We're almost done."

"No," Amie said, grinning at her father.

"She sure does like that word."

Seth chuckled, but his memories kept drawing him back. He had kept his promise to his friend. He had taken care of his wife. Until the day she died, in fact. And for that, she had given him a son, Gabriel's father.

"Finally," Gabriel said, straightening up from the changing table. "Let's give you your medicine, then we'll go see Mommy."

"Mommy," she squealed.

He carried her into the bathroom and grabbed the last dose of Amoxycillin doctor had given them. Problems seemed to keep coming. Earlier that month her feet had turned purple for apparently no reason. Then, one day they were back to normal again. A few weeks after that she came down with a virus that appeared similar to mononucleosis. He finally managed to get her to take the antibiotic. At least she seemed to be feeling better now. "Let's go see Mommy now."


End file.
